Covens
Covens are a gathering or community of Vampires. A Coven is comprised of a group of Vampires who gather together for ceremonies, rituals, and/or celebrations. The number of members within a Coven may vary. Description A Coven can be simply vampires that live together and try to do so in relative peace. Some Covens are friendlier than others and are like family to one another. Most Covens have members that tend to keep to themselves and really just view the Coven as a place to live. Other members focus more on their life as warriors, training to become hunters and killers, specifically of Lycans, known as Death Dealers. All Covens have their own rules and laws to abide by. Since Covens are called "Sectors" in the Blood Wars comic, it may mean Covens are divided into different sectors. Coven Hierarchy As in any group or society, the Vampire Covens also has its own hierarchy, which helps define and shape the Vampire society as a civilized community, differing themselves from the Lycans and their "primitive" packs. Any Vampire can potentially rise through the ranks if they achieved enough respect and deeds within the Vampire society. There are several ranks within certain positions in a Coven. Vampire Elders The Vampire Elders, also known as Grand Elders, holds the highest power in any Coven and all Vampires must answer to them, the exception being maybe another Elder. They are viewed as the Kings/Queens of the Vampire society. They are the ones that ultimately choose and decide how the Vampire community must act and behave, they also are the ones that elect their trusted advisers and Regents. They can also sentence members to death in the case of treason, as Viktor sentenced Sonja to death for having an affair with a Lycan. They all have the power to create and found new Covens. In the Underworld Blood Wars comic, Selene states that they shall forge new alliances, reclaim their Covens, and create new strongholds. The Chain was created to avoid clashes of decisions among the three Grand Elders, with only one ruling at the time. The Chain is also meant to overthrow Marcus from his status of first and more powerful Vampire and to keep him from being unable to free his Werewolf brother. Even in their absence, their will is respected and carried out. The direct descendants of the Grand Elders are raised to eventually become Elders themselves due to their royal heritage. Vampire Council The Council are the ones that advise and help guide the Grand Elders through decisions that can affect the Vampire Community as a whole, giving different perspectives and opinions for the Grand Elders to consider, when choosing the future of their reign. When there are no Elders, Regents, or Coven leaders present, the Council rules the Covens as a group instead, as seen in Blood Wars ''where Cassius and the Council are viewed as the Vampire Leaders.'' They are also viewed with great respect among the Covens, considered the nobility of the Vampire society and having more privileges than the lower classes. They usually follow the Elders when they travel to different Covens unless the Elder demands to go alone, like in the case of Amelia and how she traveled to the Nordic Coven and secretly remained there while she gave birth to her son. They are the only ones that have the power to elect new Elders if all the previous Elders are dead. Regents/Coven Leaders The Regents are the ones chosen by the Grand Elders to represent them during their absence in the Covens. , a Regent of the Old World Coven]] The Coven Leaders rule their Covens in place of the Regents, the Elders, and the Council. They also belong to the nobility of the Vampire society, but seem to be "less mobile" than the Council, as they usually stay in their houses, being only viewed as the leaders when they are at their respective Covens. All Vampires that ranks below them, obey and serve them without question and their orders are only overruled by the Elders. A Regent or Coven leader can also be a Council member in which they have more power than the other Council members as long they are in the Coven ruled by said Regent. Semira herself was a former Regent, Coven Leader, and a Council member and when she attempted to overthrow the Council, all the present Vampires followed her without question as she had more influence within the Coven than the rest of the Council. Only when David was acknowledged as the heir of an Elder, he gained more influence and was able to overrule her orders to kill the Council. If a Regent dies, another is chosen to succeed them, either by an Elder or the Council and, if neither is present or unable to do it, the Coven itself can choose one to lead them, due to popular vote. Regents are chosen by the Elders for their past achievements as warriors and/or for their leadership skills, as they already have natural respect among the members of their respective Covens. Some are also friends or related to the Elders themselves. Heads of House , the Head of House of the Eastern Coven]] The Heads of House presumably are the ones responsible for the well-being of the Coven and its members, making sure everyone is doing their job. They rule their Coven's stronghold when there are no Grand Elders, Regents, or Coven leaders present. Not much is known about the full extent of their duties and responsibilities. , Amelia's envoy]] High-Ranking Members The High-ranking members are the ones that are considered the upper class of the Covens. Some are closely related to the higher ranks as descendants, siblings, or spouses of them. Others are fairly older Vampires, with several centuries of servitude to their Covens and/or have achieved a great level of respect and influence among their people. Certain members of this class have more diplomatic tasks or errands like the Dignitaries and Envoys, who travel to other Covens and arrive prior to the Elders and the Council members to make sure everything is to their liking and prepares the Coven for their arrival. All of them are wealthy, having direct ties with companies like Ziodex Industries, which supplies more income to their Covens. There is also the socialites who prefer to spend a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings. High-borns, children and descendants of the Elders, are also considered High-ranking members. Vampire Aristocrats The aristocrats are the ones deemed to convey an approximate rank intermediate between the highest and lowest titles of the Coven's hierarchy. They can be also related to higher ranks, but don't contribute as much to the Covens as the High-ranking members do. They are usually Vampires that were once nobles like Ladies, Lords, Counts, Countesses, and any other rank of nobility when they were humans. When they join a Coven, they maintain their noble status, as they likely chose to become immortals, which allows them to live in power and wealth for eternity. Death Dealers The Death Dealers are the military forces of the Vampire society and the closest to a law enforcement group within a Coven. Any lower or higher rank Vampire can become a Death Dealer if they so desire to serve. The Death Dealers are the warriors trained specifically to become hunters of Lycans but can be also tasked to defend a Coven during an attack. Some of them can be chosen by a Regent or Elder to be their personal bodyguards and to deal with their individual matters outside the Coven's strongholds, similar to an Elite Guard. The Death Dealers seem to have more privileges than the lower-ranked vampires, as they are able to leave their houses as they please and spend several days outside of it. They must also have their own military ranks, as they have at least one Vampire that leads their troops and gives them orders during combat, as well also have recruits that are considered lower ranks and are still in the training process to become Death Dealers. Ordinary Vampires These are the lowest ranks of Vampires, and the most common members of the Covens. Most Vampires that becomes part of a Coven begins at this rank, having less privileges than other superior ranks. These Vampires have more mundane jobs, usually serving as maids, servants, attendants, drivers, ladies-in-waiting, and doormen, being tasked with domestic work. Some also serve as doctors, blacksmiths, and engineers, helping to improve the Coven's stability. The attendants serve the higher-ranking members of the Coven, and the ladies-in-waiting attend to the female High-Ranking members of the Coven, such as ladies, female Council members, and Amelia. Among these are also the Coven Historians, like Andreas Tanis, which are the ones responsible for recording Vampire history and the history of the Coven and are one of the few lower ranks that have access to the Elders and the Council. The notaries who are the ones that record what happens during Council meetings and presumably important events. Vampires don't rise in social status until they at least reach a full mortal lifespan in age or they can shortcut to the upper echelons of Vampire society if they gained a reputation as a war hero or if they become romantically involved with higher ranks. Despite their lower status, they still live in a relative luxury, usually being present at parties and ceremonies. They don't seem to leave their houses and prefer the safety of its walls. Most are socially engaged and seem to know every gossip within their Coven. When an ordinary pure-blooded Vampire is born, they are usually viewed with more respect and are already considered of a higher rank despite their younger age compared to some other ordinary Vampires. Ordinary vampires are also known as low-borns. Known Covens * Old World Coven (destroyed) ** Ördögház (destroyed) ** Castle Corvinus (abandoned) * New World Coven * Paris Coven * Thomas's Coven * Eastern Coven * Western Coven (destroyed) * Budapest Coven (destroyed) * Volhynia Coven (destroyed) * Nordgau Coven (destroyed) * Thuringia Coven (destroyed) * Nordic Coven Gallery Trivia *In the Underworld: Blood Wars comic, the Covens are called Sectors. fr:Assemblées Category:Covens Category:Locations